Red Wings' Jonathan Ericsson hopes to start skating soon, but still a month away from returning

AP file photoDetroit's Jonathan Ericsson, left, was injured when he put his hand up to cover his face from the puck.

DETROIT – Detroit Red Wings defenseman Jonathan Ericsson hopes to start skating soon, possibly Friday, to maintain his conditioning as best he can while recovering from a fractured left wrist.

“It's all to get my legs working because I can't do anything with the stick,'' Ericsson said.

Another X-ray taken two days ago showed a few cracks around the wrist in addition to the initial chip fracture. He was told he could return in 4-5 weeks from the time of the injury, Feb. 25.

“I can't rotate my arm at all. I can rotate my fingers fine, so I can try to keep my wrist in somewhat shape,'' Ericsson said. “Other than that there's not much more I can do. It's better to have the left hand injured because I do everything with my right hand.''

As for how he was injured during the 4-3 loss to Colorado, Ericsson said, “(Teammate Brad Stuart) was attempting to clear the puck on the (penalty kill). It was kind of coming at my face, and that's the reason I brought up my arm. When you put your hand like this (covering his face), it opens everything up.''